Cardinal Hume Centre have been awarded a second Community Investment Grant of £45,000 (over 3 years) to support their Family Centre & Garden in south Westminster.
Their focus is to provide a nurturing environment for families with children of all ages to play, learn and grow. Specifically, they offer:
- Early Years: play sessions three mornings per week;
- Primary Age: after-school club with play and learning activities for the whole family, including homework support, plus fun sessions and trips at the weekend.
A parent expressed their appreciation of the support (before Covid): “The children openly talk about the fun they had; they have more enthusiasm to do their homework.”
They also offer broader support to the family to ensure they can manage everyday essential things and build household stability and resilience.
The Centre did not close during Covid and regularly saw around 15 families per week on a 1:1 basis. For many families, coming to the Centre weekly during the crisis was a real lifeline.
Annabelle lives with her 16-month-old boy in a small studio flat with no outdoor space. Covid shut down playgroups and playgrounds. She said: “I was really nervous [of Covid], but I felt relaxed as soon as I came here. The staff were very welcoming. My son is learning something new every time he comes, and he’s started talking a bit more. …Before, I wasn’t speaking to anyone and wasn’t seeing any people face-to-face. Now, I know my son is having fun and I can relax… I think I would have struggled more if I didn’t have somewhere like the Centre. I would have felt lonelier. The Centre made life a lot easier.”
The Trustees also approved the following grants:
- £10,000 Standard Grant to Young Westminster Foundation to deliver their Y6 Transitions programme in south Westminster (in partnership with DreamArts).
- £37,500 Community Investment Grant over 3 years to Family Lives towards their Westminster befriending service for families with children aged 5–16.
- £3,000 Small Grant to Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust for ‘Introduce and Encourage’ to deliver their community education programme in south Westminster.
- £8,803 Standard Grant for Mousetrap Theatre Projects to deliver two 12-week drama programme for young people with disabilities, in partnership with Caxton Youth Centre.